Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lee Eon-ju [National Assembly Broadcasting/lawmaker's office]
Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lee Eon-ju [National Assembly Broadcasting/lawmaker's office]

Lee Eon-ju, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker on the National Assembly's Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee, urged the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency on Thursday to expand export support for small businesses seeking to enter Central Asia and other new markets, during a national audit of agencies under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.

"Central Asia is rapidly emerging as a land of boundless opportunity and a new export market for our small business owners, as local consumer interest in and awareness of Korean consumer goods — including K-food and K-beauty — has surged following the first Korea-Central Asia Summit," Lee said. She called on the agency to take a more proactive role in supporting that push.

Lee cited the agency's work in Kyrgyzstan as a meaningful first step, noting that last year it operated a global showroom and export consultation event there, and that the head of Kyrgyzstan's national investment authority visited the agency and signed an MOU.

"We must move beyond simply holding overseas exhibitions or signing MOUs," she added. "There need to be tangible results — actual export contracts and sustained sales growth."

Lee called on the agency to use its cooperation with Kyrgyzstan as a bridgehead into the broader Central Asian market and to draw up concrete action plans covering local distribution networks, buyer identification and the conclusion of export deals. She also urged the agency to open up overseas networks built by KOTRA and other bodies — networks historically centered on large conglomerates — to small and medium-sized enterprises and small business owners. "The agency must work closely with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, KOTRA and other relevant bodies to widen global market access for small businesses," she said.

Lee added that large conglomerates, small and medium-sized enterprises and small business owners can no longer be treated as separate categories. "We are in an era where businesses must set their sights on the global market from the outset, rather than being confined to the domestic market," she said. "We need to put in place the support infrastructure and policies that allow small business owners to compete on the world stage."


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